Kenyan Lawyer Found 11 Days After Abduction

Ahmedsadak Abdi Abshir Ahmedsadak Abdi Abshir
Kenyan Lawyer, Ahmedsadak Abdi Abshir. Credit: Amnesty International.
A Kenyan lawyer who disappeared after being seized by armed men in Nairobi has been found alive, bringing an end to nearly two weeks of uncertainty for his family and renewed calls for accountability over abductions in the country.

Ahmedsadak Abdi Abshir, 30, was located in Sololo, Marsabit County, about 700 kilometres (435 miles) from the capital, where he was abducted on November 1, his family told AFP on Thursday.

His brother, Zakariah Abshir, confirmed that they had spoken after the lawyer made contact.

“He has called, we spoke. He was dumped at Sololo, Marsabit County,” he told AFP.

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“He is at Sololo police station now,” he added.

Abshir’s disappearance had drawn widespread attention after footage circulated in Kenyan media and among rights groups showing armed men chasing him before forcing him into a vehicle.

Lawyer’s disappearance raises concerns over security agencies

Before his abduction, Abshir had been representing a businessman in a fraud case. The businessman had filed a complaint against security agencies, accusing them of threatening him.

The lawyer subsequently lodged a separate complaint, alleging that he had also received threats from security services.

His disappearance is the latest in a series of cases that have raised concerns about enforced disappearances in Kenya and triggered public protests.

Abducted Kenyan Lawyer Ahmedsadak Abdi Abshir Found Alive After 11 Days (News Central TV)
Kenyan lawyer Ahmedsadak Abdi Abshir. Credit: Y News on X

Amnesty International called on authorities to establish what happened during the 12 days Abshir was missing and ensure those responsible are held accountable.

“The authorities must establish what happened to him during the 12 days he was missing, identify everyone involved in his abduction and hold those responsible to account,” the organisation said in a statement.

It warned against allowing the case to go unresolved, adding: “This case must not become another statistic in Kenya’s growing list of unresolved abductions and enforced disappearances.”

Amnesty International said it had documented at least 22 cases of enforced disappearance in Kenya this year.

Lawyers demand answers over abduction

Abshir’s disappearance prompted a protest on Tuesday involving about 100 lawyers and human rights activists.

The president of the Law Society of Kenya, Charles Kanjama, warned that the country risked “becoming an abductor’s paradise”.

Kanjama alleged that the Anti-Terror Police Unit and the National Intelligence Service were among the state agencies that had been pursuing the lawyer.

Kenyan police, however, denied holding Abshir.

Abduction recalls 2016 killing of Kenyan lawyer

The case has also revived memories of the 2016 abduction and killing of Kenyan lawyer Willie Kimani, who had spoken out against police abuses.

Kimani was abducted alongside his client and their driver. Their bodies were later discovered in June 2016, wrapped in sacks and dumped in a river outside Nairobi.

Abshir’s return alive has ended the immediate uncertainty surrounding his whereabouts, but questions remain over the circumstances of his disappearance and the people responsible.

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  • Chinomso Sunday

    Chinomso Sunday is a Digital Content Writer at News Central, with expertise in special reports, investigative journalism, editing, online reputation, and digital marketing strategy.

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